Where to mount AIO cooler?

benjii · 14 Jul 2017 at 15:10

Where would you mount a GPU AIO cooler in an inverse case like the Corsair Carbide 600Q?

I have 5 fans in the same orientation as the image below. Just for reference, I have a Noctua DH-14 exhausting out the rear fan, not a whole lot of space there.

HoneyBadger · 14 Jul 2017 at 15:17

In that pic, I'd mount it middle left, where the bottom of the Corsair AIO is.

benjii · 14 Jul 2017 at 15:25

HoneyBadger said:
In that pic, I'd mount it middle left, where the bottom of the Corsair AIO is.

I was thinking somewhere on the front, but wasn't sure. I'm just having a ponder as I plan on getting a watercooled Vega. On doing some reading on the Fury X AIO, there were a few references that it was designed to have the radiator parallel or higher than the GPU. If that is the case, that would unfortunately mean blowing hot air over the graphics card, in the above orientation. I'm not sure how bad that would be.

HoneyBadger · 14 Jul 2017 at 15:29

You'll fine that on any GPU AIO, it prefers the rad higher up. My 1080 has instructions that say just that. Likewise I've run them lower in the past without issue.

Whilst your right, hot air would be blown on the card, I don't see you have much other option in that case.

shankly1985 · 14 Jul 2017 at 15:31

What you dont want to do is have the fans blowing into the case. an AIO cooler on a GPU pushes out a lot more hot air than a CPU.. You want that hot air out the case fast has possible. That case fan setup with the massive CPU cooler is going to be a tricky one. I also dont recommend installing an AIO at the bottom pushing out either has the hot air rises up and heats up the Rad and the rest of the PC making temps even worst.

benjii · 14 Jul 2017 at 15:33

How about doing something funky like having the top front fan as an exhaust for the AIO and flipping the bottom left fan to make it an intake to restore balance?

shankly1985 · 14 Jul 2017 at 16:26

benjii said:
How about doing something funky like having the top front fan as an exhaust for the AIO and flipping the bottom left fan to make it an intake to restore balance?

It could work, but then it might start having hot air conflicts with cool air the AIO is sucking air back in it might suck hot air back into the case. You then have a continuous circle of hot/cool

Not sure if I making sense here

Bazzards · 14 Jul 2017 at 16:37

I have two AIO graphics cards. the bottom card is expelling air out of the bottom with the top card expelling air out of the back of the case. The front fans are intakes. I have had no issues with temps.

oldestgregg · 14 Jul 2017 at 16:42

Ive had several single rad AIO over the years for both CPU and GPU and they have all been used as an outtake fan on the rear. I usually have a pull/push 2 fan set up on the rad and it works great.

Gerard · 14 Jul 2017 at 17:06

I have the same case, the aio for my titan is on the front top intake with a push\pull config.

Gerard · 14 Jul 2017 at 17:11

shankly1985 said:
What you dont want to do is have the fans blowing into the case. an AIO cooler on a GPU pushes out a lot more hot air than a CPU.. You want that hot air out the case fast has possible. That case fan setup with the massive CPU cooler is going to be a tricky one. I also dont recommend installing an AIO at the bottom pushing out either has the hot air rises up and heats up the Rad and the rest of the PC making temps even worst.

That's pretty much been disproven, its the same thing with cards with triple fan coolers where the heat doesn't get exhausted, it was tested and there's only really 4 or so C difference.

shankly1985 · 14 Jul 2017 at 18:02

Gerard said:
That's pretty much been disproven, its the same thing with cards with triple fan coolers where the heat doesn't get exhausted, it was tested and there's only really 4 or so C difference.

Ah okay but wouldn't in this case be a different story. AIO cool a GPU by transferring the heat from the GPU around the Rad until it cools off sending cool liquid to the GPU.
If the bottom fan was pushing hot air out of the case from the GPU AIO above, the fans on the AIO would then push hot air back through the Rad not allowing it to cool correctly resulting in the liquid not having enough time to cool down.

benjii · 14 Jul 2017 at 22:06

Thanks for the input. I've messaged Corsair too, if they say anything interesting I'll update here.

Gerard · 14 Jul 2017 at 23:05

shankly1985 said:
Ah okay but wouldn't in this case be a different story. AIO cool a GPU by transferring the heat from the GPU around the Rad until it cools off sending cool liquid to the GPU.
If the bottom fan was pushing hot air out of the case from the GPU AIO above, the fans on the AIO would then push hot air back through the Rad not allowing it to cool correctly resulting in the liquid not having enough time to cool down.

I just have mine as 2 intakes, the bottom 2 as exhausts where my 280mm cpu rad is and the single exhaust on the back. The psu is in the roof of this case so can assist in dumping hot air as well.

LeMson · 15 Jul 2017 at 00:47

Why's your comp upsidedown?

benjii · 15 Jul 2017 at 01:30

LeMson said:
Why's your comp upsidedown?

It's an odd orientation, sure, but the case is really well designed as far as keeping the noise down.

LeMson · 15 Jul 2017 at 09:00

It can only really go top left or on the right, depending on the aio and length of pipes, prolly easier if you aio'ed the cpu too out the left, and gpu aio'ed out the right

Gerard · 15 Jul 2017 at 18:24

That's how mine is setup, no temp issues whatsoever.

benjii · 15 Jul 2017 at 18:33

Gerard said:
That's how mine is setup, no temp issues whatsoever.

That's promising, thank you.